


In Search of Short Cuts

by Borgupine



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, Holodecks/Holosuites, One Shot, Pubic Hair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-31 17:23:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21149426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Borgupine/pseuds/Borgupine
Summary: On route to repair a malfunctioning holodeck, B’Ellana walks in on Seven of Nine conducting research of an intimate nature and now she’s after B’Ellana’s advice. And she’d been having such a nice evening with Tom.





	In Search of Short Cuts

Holodeck malfunctions were as common on Voyager as warp core failures and in each case the Captain called on B’Elanna. Never mind she’d been trying to actually enjoy some alone time with Tom for a change. If she hadn’t just left him to finish himself off, she’d have thought he’d been the one messing with the holodeck. Captain Proton flies again. Unless Harry had booted up the programme on his own. But no, he’d just be coming on for the night shift. Whoever it was, they owed her a cup of coffee.

B’Elanna made her way to the holodeck, checking her pad as she went. Apparently there was a spike in power from inside, though no one was scheduled to use it. She tried hailing whoever it was inside, but no response. She sighed, but it came out more like a grunt.

After a heated argument with the computer, B’Elanna pulled off the wall panel and got to work. She wondered if Tom would wait up for her. Probably he’d already cleaned himself up and fallen asleep watching cartoons. 

This wasn’t a malfunction, at least not an accidental one. It looked more like sabotage. One of the crew who didn’t want to be disturbed or have anyone else seeing what they were up to. Okay, now she was interested. It was a small ship, smaller crew, rumours spread like wildfire. She got wanting to keep secrets, she still had a few herself, but this was a pretty extreme leap. If Tom was with her, he’d already be taking bets. If he was maybe she would take that bet. But when B’Elanna actually got the door open, it was the last person she expected to see.

“Seven?”

That was Seven of Nine alright, stood there naked. Beside her was, well, Seven. Except clothed.

“Computer, end programme,” Seven said. She wasn’t really shocked or angry, just monotone as always. “Lieutenant, I… can explain.”

“Eh, no, that’s fine,” B’Elanna said. She tapped at her pad. “No malfunction here. I’ll leave the two of you to it.” As she turned to leave, Seven spoke.

“It is not what you think.”

“Really, it’s fine. You can do whatever you want in here. Maybe don’t try to be so secret next time. Sure fire way to get caught.”

“Noted,” Seven said. “I thought it prudent to take precautions.”

“Fine.” B’Elanna let out a breath and headed for the door.

“How did it look?”

B’Elanna stopped. She should just keep walking; pretend she didn’t hear her. It was weird enough that Seven had asked her for haircare tips that one time and now this?

“Alright,” B’Elanna said and turned. “A minute, that’s it, then I’m going back to bed.”

Seven gave a nod that was about as sheepish as B’Elanna had ever seen her. She was stood so stiff and straight. No wonder the crew still gave her a wide berth. Well, most of the crew. “My body, the holographic version. How did it look?”

“What, in general?”

“The body hair?”

B’Elanna sighed. Hair again? “I though we’d already been over this…. Wait, you said body hair? I didn’t hallucinate that right?”

“Correct,” Seven said. “How did it look?”

B’Elanna hesitated. She wasn’t sure whether to be shocked or creeped out. That was true for a lot of her interactions with Seven. “I didn’t see any.”

“Look again.”

“No, that’s fine—”

“Computer, display Seven Style Four.”

“Okay, we’re just going to bring that back up.” B’Elanna held her pad up at the side of her face. She wasn’t a prude or anything, and Klingon blood boiled hotter than most, but this was just so weird.

“Lieutenant, your thoughts are required.”

Fine, she’d humour Seven and then get the hell back to her own room where things made sense. Well, most things. She put the pad away and looked again at the hologram. Yup, that was Seven, stood there in the nude. It wasn’t that surprising, really. Those regenerative suits of hers didn’t leave a lot to the imagination. Okay, body hair. There wasn’t any, except for a strip of cropped hair on her… Oh, now she got it.

“Looks fine,” she said, holding her hands up in a shrug.

“Noted,” Seven said and actually made a note on her pad. “And this?”

Another hologram appeared before B’Elanna could even argue. This one was the same except that instead of that strip – a landing strip, Tom had called it – was a puff of dark hair.

Seven, the real Seven, stared at her, eyebrow raised in expectation. “Lieutenant?”

“Fine.”

“And this one?”

“Seven, stop already. Just stop.” B’Elanna put her hands on her hips. “What is all this?”

Seven looked everywhere except at B’Elanna as she spoke. Oh now she got bashful. “I am growing intimate with Chakotay—”

“I really don’t want to hear this. Goodnight Seven.”

This time when Seven tried to call her back, B’Elanna kept on walking. And she’d been having such a nice evening. Tom had actually given her a massage and when was the last time he’d given her one of those without expecting anything in return. Of course, he knew she always wanted to give something back after one of those massages.

As she walked back to her room, B’Elanna decided that she’d try to forget it all tomorrow. She’d write her report, holodeck malfunction repaired 23:45 hours. End of report and goodnight.

The light was on when she came in and the old TV set was flickering, the sound turned down low. Tom was fast asleep, of course, in his underwear. She knew he wouldn’t actually wait for her to get back.

She got undressed and slipped into bed. The lamps she turned off, but she didn’t mind the TV. It was getting harder to fall asleep without it on the background, pressed up against Tom.

She trailed her fingers up and down her stomach. Just light little touches that made her shiver under the covers. She bit her lip, not hard enough to draw blood, just enough. Now she really did wish Tom had waited, but she wasn’t about to wake him up. Instead, she ran her fingers down through her dark hair and… B’Elanna stopped. Maybe she’d been too hard on Seven. It wasn’t as if she’d ever been a teenager, not really. Could drones even grow pubic hair?

“Dammit.” B’Elanna threw back the covers and got dressed.

She made her way from her room back to the holodeck. Seven had better still be there after all this. B’Elanna opened the door and found one naked Seven, another clothed.

“Lieutenant, I did not expect to you to return.”

“Yeah, you and me both,” she replied, folding her arms. “Come on, show me the rest of them.”

“Very well.”

By the time Seven was finished, B’Elanna had seen twelve versions of her naked. All of them with different pubic styles. She didn’t realise there was that many.

“Well, you certainly did your research,” she said.

“I was exhaustive,” Seven replied and dismissed the latest hologram, one fully shaved. “Which was the most aesthetically pleasing?”

“Aesthetics?” B’Elanna tried not to laugh, but when it was obvious Seven was serious, she added, “Forget what I think. Which do you prefer?” 

“I am unsure. Since I have been able to acquire pubic hair, I have left it alone. What is Lieutenant Paris’ preference?”

“It doesn’t matter what he prefers when it comes to my body,” B’Elanna replied, harsher than she’d meant it. But you can’t just go asking questions like that. Seven really was like a child. “As long as Tom’s getting some, he doesn’t really care.”

“So—”

“So, I keep mine trimmed because that’s how I like it. Okay?”

“I understand. Thank you, Lieutenant.”

B’Elanna just stood there rocking on the balls of her feet as Seven made her notes. “Which do you prefer?” she asked, if only to break the silence.

“Of the styles I have researched, I prefer myself as I am. It makes me feel… feminine.”

“Good,” B’Elanna said. “That’s good, Seven. Can I go back to bed now?”

“What if Chakotay does not find it pleasing?”

Chakotay again? She was obsessed. “If he doesn’t, well then he’s not worth your time. Look. Seven, I’ve known Chakotay a long time and he’s not that shallow. You don’t have to try and please him like that. The way I see it, he’s already crazy about you.”

“Like you and Lieutenant Paris?”

“God, I hope not.” She laughed.

“Thank you, Lieutenant. This has been invaluable.”

“Don’t mentioned it,” B’Elanna said as she turned to leave. “Really, don’t mention this to anyone else.”

She paused at the holodeck door. “I think I remember hearing Chakotay likes a woman with body hair.”

Seven looked up from her pad. Was that a smile? “Goodnight Lieutenant.”

By the time B’Elanna was back in her own bed, she felt too wired to sleep, like she’d just drunk a whole pot of coffee. Tom was snoring now. He did look cute when he slept, though, in the glow of the TV.

She teased her stomach and hips with her fingers again. Only this time she went lower until she gasped. She’d been needing this all day.


End file.
